Pay cuts for PM and Ministers: only token cuts

As expected, the cuts in ministerial and presidential salaries were merely token cuts. About one- third for the PM and entry-level ministers, and half for the president.

Token because their salaries were sky-high to begin with. Perhaps a 60% cuts for ministers and 75% cut for the president might have made the whole exercise more credible.

Why?

This government has become too complacent, self-serving, arrogant and authoritarian. Most people know why so it’d be tedious to repeat the reasons.

As for the President, he is doing precisely what his predecessor had done: gracing important functions as GOH, opening this ceremony and that and giving speeches. And for this he still earns $1.54 million?

Some may argue that only high salaries can attract the best people to politics. In Hong Kong and Japan for instance, elections are still hotly contested even though salaries don’t approach our sky-high ones.

And the most absurd of all is the argument that without a high salary our office holders will not be accorded the proper respect by their foreign counterparts. Nelson Mandela was not paid much as President yet he was accorded great respect, even to this very day.

Belatedly, after humiliation of sorts in the General Election,the PM reminded his ministers that they were there to serve the public. To what extent has this message sunk in?

It is pertinent to remind the PM as well that every cent you reward yourself in salaries, bonuses or pensions comes from the taxpayer.

The thinking that just because they occupy high government office they are therefore entitled to what top professionals earn is reflective of greed.